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Burpees: It’s a Love-Hate Relationship

Football players, Marine soldiers, Crossfitters, Desk Jocks, and anyone in between looking to get into shape use this exercise. Whether it’s the big game, combat, battle, or just reaching a level of peak fitness.

They’re called burpees.

And there’s a special place in everyone’s heart for burpees. If you’ve done them before you know that I’m talking about. If you haven’t, well say hello to the best and worst exercise/workout you’ll ever do. It’s literally a love-hate relationship.

For all the reasons we hate burpees, we love them just the same.

Reasons We Love and Hate Burpees:

Convenience

They Burn Fat & Build Muscle

They’re a Great Warm up, Workout, or Finisher

Convenience

You can do them anywhere. Literally anywhere. But don’t do them anywhere. It’d be so weird if you started doing burpees in your cubicle. You don’t want to be that guy, or girl. Unless you don’t care in which case, that’s cool too.

It’s nice that you can do burpees anywhere because that means you can get a workout in anywhere. But the flip side is now you don’t have an excuse …

Don’t have time to go to the gym?

Burpees.

Don’t have any equipment?

Burpees.

(Insert excuse here) for not working out?

Burpees.

Can’t get to sleep?

Burn Fat and Build Muscle

If you do them fast enough. Actually, scratch that. If you just do them, burpees are super efficient. You’re doing a squat, pushup, and jumping up explosively, all in one exercise. It builds muscle like no other. And since you’re doing them one after the other, it’s a hell of a conditioning exercise where you’ll end up burning fat too!

That’s why we love them …

But when you’re in the middle of doing burpee after burpee, all you can think about is stopping. Heavy breathing, burning legs, and sweat dripping everywhere is basically what a burpee workout entails. The last thing on your mind is how awesome it is for your body and the first thing are silent prayers hoping they’ll end. God, I hate burpees.

Great Warm Up, Workout, and Finisher

Need a warm up to get the blood flowing?

Burpees.

Need a quick work out?

Burpees.

Want to wrap up your strength training session with some conditioning?

Burpees.

But don’t ask for them too much. I’ve seen the looks on people’s faces every time they’re incorporated into a workout. If you’re a trainer that loves to see people suffer through them, kind of like Coach Cody at Intrepid Gym – you know it’s enough to bring any grown up to tears.

The more I think about it though, it’s more like a hate relationship while you’re doing burpees and a love relationship after you’re done doing the burpees.

It certainly doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s hands down one of the best exercises you can incorporate into your fitness regimen. It’s a full body workout that packs in some serious results.

Don’t know how to do burpees?

Burpees.

Just kidding. Seriously though . . .

Here’s how to do a burpee:

Start in a sprawl position, chest to the floor.

Kick your feet underneath you so that you come into a squat position.

Leap up in the air and clap your hands.

Dive back down to the floor, assuming the sprawl position with your chest to the floor.

Repeat!

So for all you people trying to get in shape but just don’t have the time, just remember: